View from the Hilo Federal Bldg/Downtown Post Office
View from the Hilo Federal Bldg/Downtown Post Office
I’ve been standing on the corner of Waianuenue Ave. and Kinoole St. every Friday from 3:30-5 PM for 1131 weeks. (That’s nearly 22 years). Each week I hand out a new peace leaflet to people passing by. I’m grateful to all those who accept a leaflet and offer words of support. Others have signed up via email to receive them electronically. (Send me an email to ja@malu-aina.org). I have experienced quite a few hateful expressions over the years. I have also seen a lot of indifference as well.
What is changing for the worse is the view from around the Hilo Federal Bldg/Post Office. All the public restrooms in the building have been locked since before Covid. Yet the number of homeless people in need of shelter, restrooms, and health care is increasing significantly.
Just today I observed homeless people camped behind the post office near the Wailuku River, in the overhang of nearby buildings, across the street at Kalakaua Park, and up the street at a shut-down former food drive-in. There was even a homeless person sleeping across the street under the sidewalk eve of Catholic Charities.
All this while today’s peace leaflet noted that of the $1.8 Trillion federal discretionary budget, the US spent a staggering $1.1 Trillion — or 62% — of that budget on militarism and war. That’s 62 cents of every discretionary tax dollar. Now with spending caps for almost everything except for militarism, that war spending figure is likely to increase further. Shameful!
No more war & the glorification of war! Peace is a victory for all! Together, let’s change the view for the betterment of all.
Please join the weekly Hilo Peace Vigil and/or start one in your
community. Mahalo.
Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760
Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org to receive our posts. For more information
